Thursday, July 31, 2008

Letting Go and Starting New

So I finally got to see a counselor and it was good. I didn't break down this time like last though there were a few times when mentioning some painful parts of my past that I felt like I was. We talked about my sleeping habits and how I could work on them and we also talked about how I handle my family currently. I have scheduled another meeting next week and one after that week too. Oddly enough, I feel like my counselor is almost like a confessor. She has told me some stuff I already knew but that I just needed to be told. Anyhow I have gotten to the last section of Far Pavilions and as I was reading it, I came to the same conclusion that Ashton came to. I feel I need to let go of my past and start living my own life - a new life. I think that's what I need to work out with my counselor. I feel that it is about time that I should but letting go of anything is hard let alone your past and your childhood. I know I have to step out into adulthood and start making sacrifices but I guess I am afraid of turning out to be like my parents or family. I don't want to be sucked into a life I don't like. One of those sacrifices is cutting back on my expenses. I am in a little bit of debt but it will eventually be paid off. I just can't buy any luxuries. I have to have a set sleep schedule as well. I have to really study this semester.I have made up my mind. I have decided that when I graduate I will work with the government. As much as I don't like politics or bureaucracy, I don't think I would like to be a teacher after I graduate because then I wouldn't have much travel experience. Working with the government, it wouldn't be too much but it would be a lot more than it is for a teacher. I can't give up on traveling. I will not give any chance to regret. This way if it doesn't work out at least I will have tried and not be wondering forever. Really, I know I can accomplish whatever I set out to do. I just have to focus on one thing. For now, that one thing will be graduating with foreign languages degree. Well, even before that, to improving my Japanese so that I can study abroad for a year in Japan. It will be hard to cut back on other hours maybe of hanging out with friends or watching TV or whatever but I am ready to shed that skin so to speak. I am tired of being a dragon and ready to begin afresh. Anyhow, I know that I won't ever really get anywhere with my family until I accomplish all I have set out to do, until I prove to them that I can live without having to join the muck of the world so to speak. They don't believe me and they won't so I have to go about by myself. I have to find my own peace. I can't settle until I have lived out my journey. It's okay that I am single. I won't be ready to have anyone in my life until I find myself once again. I got lost amongst friends, amongst the need to be accepted, but now I need to learn to stand on my own two feet and face hardships and obstacles without faltering back. I need to learn to not blame myself so much and just do it as Nike likes to point out. It is long due but then I had no one to help me realize this. I only had parents who doubted me and intercede in my own battles rather than let me learn.

Thursday, July 03, 2008

Now I know I like to travel around and generally felt like a nomad but this summer is turning out to be a nomadic summer. I feel like I have been going from place to place even if I happen to have stayed at one place longer than a week.

First off, my apartment was supposed to be ready yesterday but there was a delay and I was told that it wouldn't be ready until this weekend. However, as the old saying goes, the best laid plans of mice and men don't always go according to plan. So today, I got a call and it turns out that there is another new delay and this time I wasn't given even a move-in date...at least I wouldn't be told until Monday.

Secondly, after living with Marcie, Jessie and Brett for about a month. They found out that they were breaching their contract by letting me stay there longer than a week. So last weekend I was 'graciously told I had to find another friend to move in with' for what was then supposed to be the week before my move-in. So now I am staying at Rachel's house and will have to let them know that my move-in date has been delayed once again. Granted, I completely understand their situation and did feel like tensions were starting to rise but I think what was hardest to swallow was that I didn't feel like they were sad to see me go. I felt forgotten as a new friend moved in, one that could possibly classified as a best friend. Okay, I admit, I was jealous but I didn't let it show. I understood my place - but that doesn't mean I accepted it. Well, what do you expect from friends you've only known for three years?I don't know anymore. I am truly thankful for their kindness in letting me stay for as long as I did. I just felt like I wasn't really appreciated or accepted.

I don't know how to take this. On the one hand, it has been a blessing to be with friends constantly but I am getting tired of having to move from one place to the next with three-fourths of my stuff in storage and no internet access on the weekends. Really, it gets frustrating to keep having that hope bashed. On the other hand, it has kept my parents at bay and it looks like they probably won't be able to help me move in because that date is so tentative that when I finally do find out that I can move-in they will be busy. Yet, even though I should call them up and tell them it's been delayed; I don't want my dad calling the property manager again. That was way too horrifying to find out that somebody just can't call me and ask me and is prying once again into my life that I want separate.

Yes, I still feel angry at my parents. For several reasons, one because they truly did disappoint me in my childhood and I was severely let down. Second, because they can't seem to live my life they way I want to yet I know once I am financially independent I will be able to stop that. Third, though it may well be tied to the first reason, is that one disappoint really was just traumatizing. I think my parents traumatized me way too much and as soon as I get over one trauma another seems to appear. I really should go see a therapist but I haven't been able to remember as well as being lazy. These things just occur at the most bothersome hour when you really can't do anything about it. If only I could just call my therapist.

I think I am generally confused this summer. I am happy that I am with friends but at the same time I really want a place of my own. I want to move into my apartment already! Secondly, as much as I know I should spend some time with my family, I still hesitate to answer the phone when they call as well as when I know I have to call them. I think the hesitation is due to the fact that for a while they kept bugging me about my graduation plans and wouldn't stop asking it and so I really got frustrated with it. I had planned to go home for the Fourth of July weekend but then I was going to move in on Saturday supposedly. When I found out I couldn't, I was a bit glad. I know my bff will be sad as well. I could still go home but I don't want to, not until I am finally settled in my apt. This really has been a trying summer.

On one happy note, I am thoroughly enjoying my art class though still having difficulties in the morning. I love it because I feel like I get along with everyone in the class and have even made some friends. Sometimes I feel like when I am drawing , I am complete. It isn't always easy but I know I can't stop. Work has been great as well. I definitely feel accepted even if most of the workstudies already graduated. I rally am confused because there are things that I am definitely glad for but there are things I am equally upset about this summer. What is one ever to do to keep from losing sanity?!?!

Friday, May 16, 2008

I don't know...

Today I got done with all my finals. I don't feel relieved but at the same time I am aware of my own failings within the finishing the semester category. I know I could have done better but somewhere along the line, something put me forever behind and I couldn't keep up. I skipped work because I was so tired after staying up late to study and then turned in my apartment application and on the way to the honors convocation - to sell flowers for Mortar Board because I am not yet graduating - I got lost. I ended up literally driving in circles and passing the same crowded intersection twice where an accident happened even though I tried to avoid that same intersection. It was weird because I knew where I was but I couldn't figure out if I was heading in the right direction or how to circle back and once again I was lost and running on low fuel. Well I made it, only half an hour later than I should have been. I don't know. I think I am just trying to be happy that I am done with my finals. I got back and watched Grey's Anatomy online, which afterwards I found myself crying because I realized something about my situation. I realized that my mom had never believed in real love. She thought all love was conflicting and not true. She said there was no such thing as a perfect family. Yet I know of a few such families. I wonder if the no perfect families happen because people sell themselves short, sort of like a self-fulfilling prophecy. You don't think you will get it so you settle for less and then you refuse to work on the relationship because you don't think it will get better. I for one refuse to sell my self short. I believe that there is such thing as true love and I am willing to wait for it. I will not give up my fairy tales. I believe that as long as we believe in something, it will come true.So I got to thinking about why I am struggling now. I remembered the times when my father didn't support me in any of my endeavors: choir, speech and debate, tennis lessons. I thought about how they really weren't good examples and how I basically spent my days unhappy and lonely. Yes, I divulged myself in that misery but I realized I need to see a therapist. I think this deep seated loneliness and the fact that I can't sit down and focus is due to my boredom and the fact that nobody ever told me to do better. Sure, I had my older brother who tried but only half-heartedly and therefore succeeded in getting me angry and hence do the opposite. Yeah, it seems people always doubt me and when I succeed they deny it. I think I really wish I could unassociated myself from my family. There is still much anger. I guess that is why I am attracted to my friend because he does believe in me and he pushes me when I feel I can't. He is sort of like a mentor I never had. I also think that he feels a need to be better at least better than his brother. I can understand but I don't know where to go from here. I don't know anything anymore. I just know that I am unhappy with my own family. I blame them for where I am at now. I don't know if I like my friend but I really am glad for his support and company. I think I really am just wanting some company as well as someone to believe me. I don't think I could really like him unless he really liked me, unless he saw something that made him want to be with me. He isn't really my ideal type but that ideal has fluctuated these last few years. I think right now, all that really matters is that he is a decent guy who is willing to come to church with me and is madly in love with me and will protect me no matter what. The one thing that should matter most to me fluctuates as well between being madly in love with me and simply having that deep connection. Perhaps those two things should be equal or whether you really should wait for it or what. I don't know anything anymore. That's how its been. I don't know what is going on or why I struggle so much. I don't know. I just want to move on and leave my past behind except my past includes my family. Maybe I am wrong in my thinking but that I cannot tell. How can one psychoanalyze oneself without being biased or letting their imagination go wild in the blank spaces between memories?

Friday, May 02, 2008

I find it amazing that sometimes God can speak to me through the media that I read and watch. I mean even when I read my manga, I find that God speaks to me and encourages me. Watching Lord of the Rings tonight with the Hobbit Society, I learned that it is not through my own strength that I continue but through God's that I am able to stay positive after all that has happened this week. It was an incredibly despairing week and the only reason I am still optimistic is because I know it will get better. I know that this is only the end of the beginning. God really was great because I feel so blessed to have the friends I do. They cheer me up so much so that it doesn't matter that this week I got dealt with bad news each day. Just knowing that I am appreciated and that my ideas are welcome are great. Perhaps thats why I love college so much because it is a place of discussion and your co-workers are your friends and they share the same ideas. I meet people everyday that think like me and thus I talk with and grow and learn together. This is something I lacked at home; even with my brother, he could never understand that I needed someone to talk with and share ideas. So it was hard to take the fact that I didn't get into Scribendi this year but now I can take a class with my friend which will be better. I won't give up. I will improve. So I am pursuing foreign languages, but I discovered through my manga,how much I really want to go to Japan. I want to learn to speak it fluently, make friends there, and teach English there. I want to travel around and I don't care if it puts me into debt and behind in school. For the experience, it is totally worth it. This is my definition of success. I know my friends are graduating and I am still behind but I make new friends this way. I live my life according to my own terms and not that of the world's. As I work on my honor's final project, I couldn't help but cry. Thinking of how our culture is such a consumer culture. I mean we really buy clothes because of the name and not the quality. I think we are very close to just selling our soul for status. If that day ever comes, I think even the prostitutes might be better off than us. Status is such a power struggle and all I wonder is what good does status do us. It can neither buy us love nor happiness nor friends. Sometimes it even comes between that and us. True beauty isn't store bought or universal but it is when things are left untouched and natural. We can put on so much make up but after a while it just becomes a mask and unnatural - think of Michael Jackson's nose. Even a slightly crooked nose is better than a fake one. It is just sad that people can't see their own beauty but try to look like someone they aren't.

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

When the storm comes rolling in...so to speak.

Sometimes a storm come unexpectedly, or so some people think but I think usually it is because we keep hoping that it won't rain, expecting that slight of a miracle to happen and when it doesn't happen, we deny that we were ever hoping for it. Most of the time, I can tell if there is a storm heading this way - though in the desert at my home, it seemed like it rained everywhere but there - because there is the usual wind gusts before the storm and the smell of water in the air. Some people who have lived without the meteorologist and all his fancy devices for predicting weather have been able to predict weather on their own. There are even those people whose joints swell up when there is rain on its way. Today was one of those days when the storm hit for me but somehow I was prepared. I had been expecting it to come, but it came in differently than I expected it and so I was caught a bit off guard. Then again, I kind of provoked the storm with a slip of the tongue. I hadn't even been thinking about what I said, it just came out all wrong but somehow I managed to keep the tension low. There was still a lightning strike of pain but I was grounded enough so that it didn't hurt too much. I took too my drawing to keep me distracted from the thoughts that kept bubbling in of humiliation, of sounding completely unwise, of sadness. No, I wouldn't let those thoughts in - just as yesterday I had thoughts of anger and resentment and felt like I had been done an injustice. So I did what any other shopaholic did - I went shopping, but with a specific purpose/goal in mind. I went and I got some comedy DVDs, one luxury clothing item, a few needed items, and chocolate. There had been some showers before the storm in which I discovered leaks in my roof so to speak. When I got home, I just spent the day watching the comedy DVDs and boy did I laugh. I got one of my favorite movies (though I have a lot of favorite movies) and I ate chocolate knowing I would feel better without a thought about calories and such. Yes, yesterday, last night was a night of de-stressing and resting and healing. So today, after running around Johnson Field, I improved but at the cost of doing only one mile of running (before I ended up throwing up, unfortunately), I went to class and I doodled as if it was the most important thing. I ended up discovering a creative thought which I will flesh out later but mainly I couldn't let my mind free to think what it wanted. I needed to keep it busy. I channeled all the negative I was feeling into my hands into my pen and onto the paper. Sometimes that is how you breakthrough your barriers by just doing things repetitively until you have a realization - until you see the trees for the forest so to speak. I still feel the pain from the lightening strike but it is much more subdued. Mainly because it didn't strike me hard but was grounded in more ways than one - by creativity, by my drive to find wisdom, by my pride and so forth - but also because I found God was understanding of how no matter how much I want to deny the pain, I also need to accept it. He spoke to me of how even when you can't understand why when you think God is punishing you, he is really disciplining you, preparing you for the long journey ahead - that the way things are are actually for the better. I hung out and had some good conversations with a few friends that I normally don't get to see much. I was really glad that they were with me and had approached me and that we had stuff to share. For instance, my friend Jonah, totally made me feel better about throwing up after running today. He made me feel cool because throwing up, in his mind, shows how hard I was pushing myself on the field this morning. That really cheered me up. I felt glad that I had friend like those few who I saw today. Hopefully, the rest of the day will be like that. Thank God, God had made it for those friends to be available for talking today because it really took a load off my mind. Perhaps because I had always looked to God during those most difficult times in life or because I don't deny my emotions but accept them as part of being human and part of the process of maturing and finding wisdom it is that I was able to have an afternoon as I have so far had. I don't know but I definitely thank God for the blessing of my friends. Even amidst the chaos of my life currently, I am able to find peace with my turmoil. It's not easy, admitting that you can't rock climb well or have low endurance or struggle with school but admitting it, is the first step to overcoming these obstacles and triumphing over them. It makes sense, but you can't find the sense until you actually do it and keep going and not stop. Just as if you want to improve your running, you just need to keep running even when your chest is heaving and your heart is pounding. You just got to keep looking forward.

Saturday, April 26, 2008

Here is a poem, I wrote in response to this preacher that came last week to our campus. I was upset because a friend told me that he spoke truth without love and but I felt he didn't speak truth because he had no love. I felt God calling out to me, unfortunately I didn't get my courage in time to speak out against him. I definitely felt though that the Holy spirit was working through me. I wanted to reach out to others. I wanted to do it in a way that was true and honest and the least confrontational and I felt a poem did that the best. So enjoy my poem and feel free to comment on it if you feel like it speaks to you as well.

Response to the Environment

Who are youTo Judge meHow can youKnow my heartYou speak of graceWithout having grace

Do you see these eyes of mineThat have seenFrom A to ZCan you know What I have doneWhat I have been through

Don't say its nothingCompared to your experiencesFor there you go againJudging meWhen even your knowledgeIs but a drop in God's eyesCompared to God's knowledge

Every person hereIs worth more than a universeFor our CreatorCreated usThe pain of one personIs equal to the pain Of any other personBecause we cannot seeHow deep it may hurtHow much damage It causes us

Don't preachIf you can't listenIf you can't understandThat being a devil's advocateWon't helpMake the world a better placeIf you can't listenTo God talking to you Right nowBecause you are too busyShouting your wordsThey aren't HisThe Spirit isn't in you

Paul says“If I speak in human and angelic tonguesBut do not have love,I am a resounding gong or clashing cymbalAnd if I have the gift of prophesy And comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge;If I have all faith so as to move mountainsBut do not have love,I am nothingI give everything I own andI hand my body overSo that I may boastBut don’t have love,I gain nothing.”Don't make anymore noises,We have enough gongs and clashing cymbals

My loveCannot be containedThough I would much rather pass silentlyThe Spirit compels me to speak

I am tired of preachers preachingEvangelists evangelizingIgnorant of the people’s woesWith their own agendasWithout graceWhy?Because there is no love

Do you not see the greater problem?Are you blind?Can you not seeWhat concerns us most now?

People walkWithout a care for the otherMasks on their faceHiding their problemsAfraid to admitTheir own humanity

Here I amA student with food, shelter, and educationYet still I struggle to be happyThe doctors want to medicate meBecause I am not afraidTo feel sad and cryBecause I admitI am scared of the futureI am not a modelI deal with my own kind of racismAnd I did not haveAnyone to talk to

I struggle in schoolI have to rely on my parentsAnd idly watchAs their savings go downBecause I am not a genius

Yes the world is cruelBut I made it throughBecause I was toldI had worthNot by familyBut by HeWho sustains me

You can step on meCall me what you wantBut I still believeThat every person hereIs worth as muchAs a universeAnd every painIs as valid As any other

Now I seeHe is with meWatching over meAnd I am listening!

I forgive And pray for themFor they knowNot what they are doing

I pray theyLearn to findEternal happinessThat cannot be boughtWith world thingsWith moneyOr at the expense of another

I hope they canBreak their chainsPast, present, and futureAnd find outWho God created them to beTheir own trend or prodigyTo be without bordersTo be human

So I got to thinking about relationships, and it came to mind that most of my friends that I know who are in a relationship got into their relationship not by some fluke or chance but because the guy pursued them until they finally decided to give the guy a chance. Those who did that have fallen deeply for the guy that at one time they didn't even consider a potential date. For a guy to persistently pursue a girl, I think, speaks a lot of the guy's character and how much he likes that person. I mean he doesn't just give up and decide to wait for another girl he likes to show up in his life. It seems he perceives that person as someone unique and truly loves that person. It also shows that he is willing to work at something and doesn't give up easily when all hope seems lost. He works at it and that speaks a lot to me as it probably does to her. I don't know about others but being pursued so much by someone who we may only see as a friend makes us feel like they really really are in love with us (whether or not the love is actual is not important - it is the feeling and the actions that are important at this stage in my mind); makes us feel like we are a princess and they are our knights.The second thing I notice is that you don't have to be attracted to someone immediately. In fact, what truly attracts me to someone is when they are true to themselves and they are passionate about their interests. When these interests and their passion about them get your attention that is when the true attraction forms and no matter what you look like, you truly shine beautifully or handsomely. I also don't think it matters if you feel that you aren't helping that person grow because you truly don't know at least not until you invest time in that person or relationship. When you get to know the other person better, sometimes subconsciously you do help them. He may not notice at first or even mention it to you but it happens because thats what happens when you invest in others. You may not see the fruits of your seeds immediately but they are there. As both grow and grow closer to God as a result, the bond or the string of destiny becomes tight. That bond is what forms love.That bond or connection is what I want. I want to find that other person who knows me sometimes more than I know myself. I want to find my other half so to speak, the yang to my yin. I don't believe there is only one other but also don't believe that just any person can be that because it has to be someone who is willing to invest in me as I invest in them and is willing to work hard. There are many fish in the sea but few harvesters. I seek not a fish but a harvester. I seek that person who is willing to stand out and seek his full potential.I believe that God has a special person waiting for me. I also believe that he isn't just going to hand him over on a platter but that I also have to work to find him. I believe he gives us clues about to whom we are compatible with so to speak and it is up to us to seize the opportunity. For the guys, that means pursuing the person until the other decides to give you a chance or tells you to back off. If the person does give you a chance, then you don't stop there. In fact, you never stop working. You persevere despite all obstacles if you truly love someone. For us girls, it just means making the most of the time with that other person. It means trying to form a worthwhile friendship of truly caring for that person. It means getting to know the guy before you decide that you like him. It doesn't mean pursuing them as in flirting with them or making the first move. No, that has to be done by the guy - the first move that is. You have to let him know your feelings and let him respond. The first move is that response but he has to make a clear response. Once he does, then you can move in whatever way that you feel appropriate. There has to be reciprocation in my mind for a relationship to be equal. Otherwise, then there is no communication and no balance - without either, there is room for a lot of chaos. The two opposites become unstable and may eventually lead to one with more power than the other. Relationships should always be equal - two trees growing together not one tree leaning on the other tree. The DNA strand is intertwined but not tangled...think about it.I believe that true love is possible just as I believe in the good of people because I believe that through God all things are possible. If it were not because of God rescuing me, I wouldn't be able to be saying those things. Therefore, they are not my words but God speaking through me. For I thought I was impossible to be reached, I thought I wasn't an important person and that I was a failure, I was told I was weak and naive, but God taught me that I was strong and resilient and wise. When I thought I had become invisible and no one really cared for me, He came through for me. He noticed my pain and reached out without putting me down, without telling me to change,He just cared for me. I believe in the good because I know it is only because of the world that we put on our masks and become selfish. That is what the world taught us, taught me. We don't do things because we are evil but because we are taught that if we show vulnerability we won't survive. We are taught to fight fire with fire instead of water. I don't believe that is how you should solve conflict. To resolve conflict with accusations is to jump into a fight without knowing the other's weakness. It is foolish. It is fighting yourself and it creates a pattern of tension and hurt. Even if you tell me that I am naive, I tell you I am not because I can see through the masks, I was there, I nearly became numb like everyone else as well as mean. Perhaps that is why most people are sheep because they were tired of fighting and decided to let others live for them. They died inside not through their own fault for who chooses to die willingly. Rather we die because we cannot deal with our pain and we just want peace. We are so quick to point out others faults and reprimand them but deny that we have our own faults. We cannot show that we are human and we have also made mistakes. So we isolate others by doing so and by isolating we slowly suffocate them. Therefore I refuse to be the fool who is quick to jump into a fight that they know you can't win but rather be the wise old person who confronts the situation but doesn't join the situation. This is what God has taught me.

Sometimes I feel like I am OK being single. I was walking today and there were a few couples out but I didn't mind seeing them as I usually do. It was strange but it felt good. I thought to myself surely as soon as I can start living on my own then I will find that man, but more than that, I felt sure that God had someone for me. That I would for sure find that person that I have been waiting for most of my life. This I felt confident and that gave me peace from God. It wasn't the belief that through my own efforts I would find him because I was sure that no matter if I was doing well on my own and was successful, that he would come to me but that when I felt ready God would provide. Maybe I do just want that company but I think you have to work at it like any other relationship. You have to invest that time with that person,i.e. you have to invest in the other. I don't know who God has set aside for me. I just know that if God gives you an opportunity you shouldn't waste it. You should seize the chance to build a relationship. As the semester winds down to its big finale, I find myself talking to God more. He has been waking me up in the mornings early now...at 8 am to be exact and I find that amazing.I mean it isn't through my own will power but through God that I am able to do it. I really am glad about that. My next choice is what is my summer going to be like. I want to earn money on my own and do stuff but I need to learn to balance work and school as well as to focus even when I am stressed out. It's hard but I am sure I will learn. Well I am ready for bed so goodnight to all.

Update:I also have discovered a trouble that I had been ignoring. I think the reason I am not doing as well as before in school is because I am not doing what I am most passionate about - architecture. It is true that I do like foreign languages and Asian studies and art but just as I couldn't abandon Japanese I cannot abandon architecture. It was when I thought it wasn't going get into the school of architecture that all the troubles began. It was then that I broke down that first week of the semester. I just haven't been true to myself but rather have ignored the pain I feel whenever I see anyone with an architecture project. So that made up my mind about what I was going to do summer. Rather than give up my AutoCad class to work at Target to earn more money, I am going to take the AutoCad class and give my worry of finances to God. Rather the more important thing is that I stay true to myself and have faith that God will provide. Once I am familiar with AutoCad I can work at an architecture firm and that will get me ahead more than working at Target and paying bills. You have to look ahead to the future rather than look at the present. Otherwise you won't be prepared when an obstacle comes your way because you didn't see it coming. All these things, I know because I have prayed to God for his guidance. I have given him all my concerns and he has answered them.

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

On being humble or living the ascetic life...

I feel tears forming along my eyes lower lid but I can't let myself cry. I want to cry because I want things that I can't have and don't really need but would make my life a little brighter, give me a sense of temporary relief from feeling broke. I recently lost my car yet again to a new car accident but I am still upset because I was being very careful that morning and yet still it happened. The insurance company claimed I was 100% at fault so that to me feels like they are calling me a liar when I am telling the truth and I just want them to believe me. Then during spring break, my parents found me a new car but it was a Toyota Corolla and not a Honda Civic. If you know me, you know I sold my soul to Honda. I know the Corolla is as good as the Civic, perhaps better because it gets better mileage but the style is so plain and there is much left to be desired at least like my car stereo that was sold off by the insurance company. I really am upset at the insurance company this time because they were such jerks and didn't repay us a fair amount for the car. I think there is some corporate greed going on there. My car stereo was worth 300 dollars and the car 8000 dollars...we only got back 6000 dollars. I want to switch insurance companies to All-state because they are at least kind enough to give me accident-forgiveness. Farm-state can kiss my butt once I am financially independent.Living without my ipod has been difficult. I can no longer listen to it when I can't sleep but have to play the music from my comp. quite a bit loud. It's not the same as listening to music through your own personal ipod. I can't relax or shut off the world. I have to hear the music through the noise of the city. There was also just something about having your own ipod... nearly the same feeling as reading a really good book you enjoy. Furthermore it was my first and I had personalized it. I was happy and then it was stolen right under my nose in my own apartment. That was the last draw/straw for me and the impetus to leave this apartment. Second, my camera got broke. A camera I had also gotten fond of. It wasn't fancy but a good quality digital camera. It took great average camera photos. I know I didn't take many photos with it recently but now I have been walking around wishing I could take photos of things that inspire me around campus. No such look anymore. I just have to remember them.I recently found a place near enough campus and with a moderate rent rate where I can live. It was nice. It had wood floors and a good bathroom, a fair-sized kitchen and a living area. The heater was an old one though and the kitchen had a small stove and decent fridge. I will need to buy a microwave and baking will be in small amounts. No dining room sadly but that's alright. I will just have to find a way to fit a decent table in the kitchen and update the kitchen without doing anything permanent. It's definitely a downgrade from my current apartment but for a single student its not too bad. I will hopefully be able to get a cat to keep me company contrary to my mother's wishes but it will be nice to have that company. I still love spot but he wouldn't like to be closed up anyways and he is my home cat lol. I want a cat that will be willing to cuddle with me. I will also need a couch and a table with at least two chairs.The closet is smaller but still decent. I will just have to redo my closet, donate some clothes and store winter clothes in a separate place (perhaps home again).I will find a way to make the small apt home, add some style - I am thinking cottage or contemporary or eclectic. Still despite having my Wii and TV/Monitor and cable/internet and everything else. It has been hard living without my luxuries. I will definitely need my new cat because it will get lonely and he/she can keep me company as well as serve as something to wake up to. He/she will be kept inside but taken out when I am outdoors only. I don't care about allergies. I will deal with that and I will keep the house clean on my own. I will also plant a container herb garden in my back porch and have some other potted plants. I am looking forward to having my own place at last where I can entertain some friends.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

I ranEven though I couldn't see where I was goingI only knew that I was moving forwardAs the scenery around me changedFrom the little I could see

Still I ranBecause I knewI had nothing left to loseI knew the sun would come outAnd the fog would clear up

I ranKnowing that at the endI would feel better about myselfBe in better shapeAnd have accomplishedWhat I set out to do

I ran and ranMy feet got heavyMy breathing more difficultThe wind felt strongerBut still I couldn't stopEven if I were to collapseI had to keep moving forward

I wasn't aloneHe was thereConfronting my fearsHelping me overcome themEncouraging me onNever giving up on meAnd I was gladThat he was with me

So we ranKnowing that I wasn't fitWe kept each other in checkWe ran through the wind and coldBreaking down our own wallsOvercoming our own obstaclesAnd then finishingWith a smile on our faces

So lately I feel like I have been in a fog all because of a paper. I couldn't finish it or even start it. I had a prompt to work off of but when doing research on the topic I came up blank, to make matters worse, some of the research was social psychology - not my forte and generally hard to read anyhow because of all the jargon with any of the medical fields. I wanted to work hard on it but I couldn't. I had other things on my mind like where I was going to be living in the summer and next school year as well as trying to fight off other temptations that kept trying to distract me. I really need to stop doing homework late at night because I can't think or function well at that time anyhow, only reading can be done so late because they don't require too much mental activity and you can do that in bed and help you fall asleep. Anyhow so I think one of my new resolutions is to get homework done early at least before 10pm and if it can't be done then, then I would rather wake up early and work on any hw not completed. I know that will be hard but then it will also help me get used to waking up early.

Speaking of getting up earlier, I have lately found more motivation to do so. I just started a running routine today thanks to my friend Clayton. It was voluntary but I had no idea what I was getting myself into - oh well, no one every said it would be easy to get fit - but atleast this way I am not alone and it feels great knowing someone believes you can do more than you thought you could. It would be great to be able to get up early and run without getting tired easily by the next school semester. I also have discovered that a timer on a TV can be very useful. I have managed to set my TV to turn on just after my second alarm goes off so that when I wake up, the talk and the noise of the TV as well as the morning news and Good Morning America will keep me conscious and somewhat motivated to get up early in the morning. I think this is really what I need rather than my alarm because this more movement than just a song or such. It really was nice waking up to the news this morning though I sadly couldn't manage to get breakfast beforehand still - an hour it took to get actual energy and motivation for getting out of bed -_-. The run was great but it did leave me feeling quite exhausted but hey my first run was a mile and a half which isn't bad for my first. Clayton says that I should just try running (even running in place if I have to rest) for 30 min non-stop. So that will be my goal for the fall semester. I like running with him =)!

Thursday, April 03, 2008

On Dating, Love, and life (I guess)...

So recently I have found myself attracted to someone but on a completely different "axis" than my previous crush. Though the "axis" I used to determine my attraction wasn't so much different from before but the approach and the feelings involved were different than last. First off, I didn't quite fully accept that I had liked him until at least a semester had passed and at the same time, I was made aware of the possibility that I could find someone I could get along. I for sometime had not wanted to accept that I liked someone or even believed I could find someone. Perhaps I was still stuck on my past crush who had so meticulously exemplified my ideal. However, now I see that the ideal was only a rough draft. This new person has much of the same characteristics except that he is much more of the introverted type though not necessarily shy - that is he is just not as outspoken. I myself wasn't even sure I liked him as more than a friend and sometimes I still am confused about what exactly I am doing, thinking, or feeling.

Yet I know the one main thing, I feel when I am around this new person is that I feel comfortable - something my ex had told me as well and now I begin to understand. This comfortableness is in the fact that I don't feel judged as to how smart or beautiful or anything for that matter but more it is like he accepts me as a human being with all my faults and still values his time with me. This is something I didn't feel with my previous crush for whenever I danced with him, I always felt like I was a lousy dancer and thought he wanted to dance with someone else. There was no valuing of our time dancing but it was just of politeness to ask to dance and even when we did hang out, he never quite talk to me. There was a cold wall/wind blowing in between us. I don't feel any of that with my new interest.

I am attracted to this new person but it feels much less an infatuation than the previous crushes I have had. That is to say this new interest doesn't even feel like a crush but more a respectful relationship. He is handsome and does have gorgeous blue/green eyes (I can't tell from my memory) but I also find that I don't always think of him as I did the others. This could mainly be from the fact that I am much more focused right now on my studies and learning and only have leisure time at night but I have to say this interest feels different. I did think I like someone else before him but once I got to know that previous person, I found I couldn't really relate to him and that I wasn't attracted to him as much. With this new person, however, I do feel attracted to him still so I guess that means the ideal is still there. I think right now I am most scared that I may be transposing my own image of him whenever I see him. Thus, so that I don't decieve myself any further I am taking it slow. I am starting off by just being close friends and see where that takes us - see if we do have something there.

Both me and him share many interests. These interests in fact help us relate to and understand each other. We are both interested in languages and Asian philosophy and I think that helps a lot. I only now realize how much Asian philosophy has affected the way of my life. Interestingly enough, both he and I have found a way to have Asian philosophy and Christianity co-exist. I think for me, though, I am much more devoutly religious than he but then I have only just begun to know him. I do know that he is a true Christian and not just an inactive follower. I don't believe he is Catholic but right now I will not worry about that. As long as he is Christian, I am happy. I also find that we both like to be adventurous people and are not afraid of taking risks - though in this he is much more braver than I and I feel I can learn a lot from him because of that.

So even though I am attracted to him and can imagine myself in a relationship with him, there is something different about this attraction. Perhaps, it is in the fact, that it was only after I had a certain dream that I decided to pursue this interest, not that I didn't like him before, there had always been that initial attraction based on looks and even more shared interests, but that I wasn't willing to sacrifice a good friendship in search of that something more. The dream also made me realize that I wanted a relationship but the relationship I wanted was more of a subdued relationship. I wanted a relationship where we could be comfortable just hanging around each other and talking and passing ideas along - I guess a more intellectual relationship rather than the romantic relationship, not that I don't want that romantic aspect but that that is not the most important thing I want presently in a relationship. I want more of the relationship that I see in my friend Glory's Indian parents - a calm and respectful relationship where the love is downplayed. I guess I am just tired of seeing all these relationships where one is emphatically in love with the other; maybe because I don't believe those relationships last or that relationships should be based on that.

So I really feel great because I recently went to the park with him just randomly. We had fun and played like little kids and got bruised a bit. He played along with me and that was cool. Afterwards I came home and remember feeling happy because even if that was the only other time spent with him, it would be enough. It wasn't the same atmosphere as I had wanted previously but it was enough that I could still be thankful. We had some good bonding times and there were moments were it seemed he was into me but I really couldn't tell. On the opposite side, I think he could probably tell that I did like him or atleast I wanted to tell him something. I had plenty of moments where I could have told him but I didn't because I felt it was too early. I felt like I wanted to get to know him better before then. I found we had a lot in common and I did end up falling for him more but I am still scared to jump into a cliff so to speak and I want to make sure I like him for who he is and not who I am making him out to be in my mind. I know he can definitely help me grow and overcome some of my own obstacles. It would be great if we could go running, cycling, and rock climbing together because he is better at that than I am, but I also think I can help him out in someways. Lately though it has been scary wondering whether it will work; maybe because I have been looking for someone like him or maybe because I don't like admitting that I have been lonely and wanting a bf. I just hope I am not being foolish but I think this is one of those necessary risks. I really don't know how he feels about me. I mean we don't really run into each other much on campus surprisingly. I definitely don't want to jump to conclusions to quick for both our sakes. I don't want to like someone just because I want to have a bf. I want to have a quality relationship and I think in order for that to happen, we need to get to know each other better in that way. I don't know how this will turn out but wish me luck.

Tuesday, April 01, 2008

Human beings are amazing despite opening Pandora's box.

I know it sounds cliche but its true. We can endure so much hardship and still be able to smile honestly. Though I know it isn't true for most. There are a few of us that do break but I guess the point that matters is that it really just depends on us and how much strength and hope we have. I think when they created the myth about Pandora's box, there was more to it than meets the eye. I mean first of all, why would hope be locked up with all that other negative stuff. Sure, hope can sometimes be not so good but it can also be very powerful. I think even if we did know what lays ahead for us, hope would still be needed to get us through the most difficult parts as well as the days leading up to those times.

I know I personally have been through a lot and really I thank God for keeping me sane. It was his strength that gave me hope. He believed in me and that was all I needed. He also created me just as I am, the good and the bad. He gave me my Pandora's box knowing that I could overcome all the negative with just that hope and in this case, a hope that has not failed me yet.

I have been trampled on but not yet had my heart crushed. Perhaps because I am a very careful person, not that I have never fallen in love but that I have never fully given my heart away and I have always been very strong willed and minded - my parents can attest to this. They still don't fully understand nor appreciate me but they try their best. I think the spirit of the women before me lives strongly in me. These things were all given to me by God to give me strength and mentors through the desert, and never before have I been tested so much in my life as I have these past two years.

Truly, does the lord test me but still I persevere and praise the Lord. My heart and faith remain firm despite not having a reprieve in quite some time. Yet despite falling down sometimes, I find strength to continue on from an unknown source that I can only attribute to God. There are times when my body fails me but I know my spirit is strong; when my body does give out, it is then that God replenishes me. He finds ways to speak to me that I wouldn't never imagine and people doubt it. This is proof of how God can transform evil into good. Perhaps evil is short sighted and tries to win as quickly as possible but God with his foresight takes a defeat and uses it to deceive the enemy for the true victory - the difference between small wins and the ultimate goal (something I learned from chess).

Anyhow, I find it amazing that I am still sane, that even though I have yet to have my love returned, I still continue to love. I love those that don't love me but sometimes I am depleted. I wish my family would understand that I don't like fighting fire with fire. That I am more aware of the more important things than the petty things and that I know when to withdraw and when to fight - though the later only happens mostly around family. (I have been hurt by my family in more ways than one but I still love them as well.) The thing is that I see how we are weak and not perfect including myself. Thus, I cannot dislike people for their personalities because I know that there are deep reasons for their behavior. I know firsthand how cruel this world is but I continue to believe in people despite what everyone tells me. I believe that there are better ways of asserting oneself than fighting fire with fire. I believe in the power of love and hope to conquer all things bad in this world. Thus I will not fight back unless my sanctity is at stake and I will continue to love even when I am not loved back. I know someday I will find that person I can love and he will love me back and thus we can help each other grow. Until then, I will continue to smile honestly and believe in others even when I am weak.

Tuesday, March 04, 2008

When I was two and twentyI found myselfStruggling to beOne and eighteen

The days of idly enjoyingTime not spent with friendsWas not my pleasure anymoreBut now it was bitter sweetFor though I loved themI did not loveThe time passing

When I was twenty and twoI spent my daysImagining myselfOlder and wiserInstead of my foolish self

I wondered aboutWhere I would beAnd idled away my timeMeandering about the cloudsInstead of building my foundationUntil the river floodedAnd I was once againLost in the wilderness

When I was twenty and twoI thought to myselfLove won't make a fool of meAnd found loveMade an enemy of me

No longer was I freeTo meet strangers and friends alikeWithout it slipping in between usAnd making rational into irrationalThoughts into poetry

See here I amWriting poetryNot workingAs a diligent studentBut an idle daydreamerBa humbugI say to the world=P

Despite losing sleep and being completely broken down by memories of my past. Here I am still sane and at least improving slowly in school. I wonder how I managed school back then in my turbulent past. Perhaps its that school was still a joy and since I had a set pattern, it was easy to follow. Now since my schedule changes constantly, it is harder to focus and remember without that pattern to fall back. I really don't know how I managed to do well in school with everything going on, then again I didn't pay attention to what went on at home. Perhaps it was simply that doing well in school gave me something to feel good about myself but then I was always outdone by my brother. I don't know but now I am relearning my patterns.

Anyhow, I currently feel blessed. I know I am going somewhere. There is no doubt in my heart but it beats on fervently. I guess I feel blessed because God has renewed my strength. Really I wouldn't be here, if it wasn't for Him. I felt myself last week being so tired and ready to give up. My body was so heavy and my mind so filled with grief, it was no good. Thankfully I had friends who could lift my spirit and understand my pain. It is funny how sometimes we just need a hug but can't ask for one without feeling it's lost its value once spoken. I don't think that is true. A hug from a dear friend even if asked for is still a hug given with warmth and love from her heart.

God works in mysterious ways and I find myself moving on from the past. Those I thought I like, I understand now were not meant for me in the way I wanted but in a way, that made only God's will possible. I have learned things from each of my guy friends that otherwise I wouldn't have learned if I hadn't liked them as I did. I definitely love God with all my heart because He has done great things for me and believed in me when I couldn't believe in myself. He lifts me up and shows me how truly beautiful I am. Even my dark side can't help but glorify Him as well. For He created me with all my aspirations and goals and dreams and everything down to temperament and attitude. There was no mistake made in creating me.

Sunday, February 24, 2008

A Good End to a Bad Month

Well, despite some crazy days and extreme business, I managed to make it through with enough sleep to keep up with my work though not my reading. Intervarsity Spring Training came and went and it was all pretty fun and definitely good. I made new friends from NM Tech as well as got to see some old friends. I have to say I love those Techies as well as my home dogs from UTEP. I learned a lot to keep me going for the rest of the semester and I definitely felt God's presence this weekend at Training. Though I was a bit distracted sometimes by my hair or scarf or just plain distracted by other tangent thoughts.One of those thoughts was just that I really like those Techies and if any of them were ever to ask me out, I would say sure. They are all just so great fun and so crazy and weird and smart that it is enough to keep me entertained to say the least. There are even some pretty good looking fellows among them and they are decent boys. Boys nonetheless but boys still but I am perfectly ok with them being boys. I like that about them in fact. I appreciate our differences and I don't expect them to be my ideal guy. My ideal has become more of a catch all than a standard. What can I say, I just want a guy who makes me laugh and can hold a conversation and isn't serious. I don't even mind short guys either. As long as we can have fun, I would be happy. I know I shouldn't think of every guy I meet and like as a potential boyfriend and that I shouldn't focus on that but sometimes it would just be nice to have someone I can hang out with atleast most of the time or when I am lonely and bored. That's all I ask for really from a guy. It is my one wish that I would want granted. I don't really want anything else from life. I am content at where I am, though there are a few things I would change if I could but they aren't major. Mainly I just wish I could go back and tell myself that I will go far and make many new friends and be content and be myself so that I wouldn't have to go through my early school years so gloomy and depressed and lonely. I really have to thank God for getting me out of that whole. He has done so many good things in my life that I owe him everything!All in all, it was a good weekend. I believe I did pretty good in my Modern Easter Civ. test on Friday. This Tues. I have a test in art history and wed. I have a presentation in my honors class. I think I am doing good in my classes, not the best I could do but I am slowly learning to manage my time and prioritize my tasks.At home things are starting to look up. My dad seems to be learning that he isn't perfect and has begun to improve himself. On the other hand, my mother is now too stubborn to change her flaws as well. She keeps thinking that it is up to us to decide about the divorce matters but it isn't. I didn't like being put on the spot last weekend by her. That is her decision and not mine. I don't like it but I also think it would be better. This whole divorce thing is starting to bother me more and more as it gets closer. I just don't know how to feel about it. Maybe if I called Joey, he could help me out since his parents recently got divorced. It would be nice to have someone to talk to who has gone through similar experience of divorce in the family. Prayers for more understanding in my family as well as that my semester gets better would be greatly appreciated.Well, here's to hoping things look up and allergies don't flare up. Ganbate!

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

What would a Russian leader do? Part Two:

A month into the new year, a month of bad luck, a month of busy-ness...

So school is good, just hard to keep up with all my reading but good nonetheless. I am enjoying work and confirming the fact that architecture will always be my passion no matter what. I just don't know if I will be cut out for foreign service. Don't get me wrong, I like doing clerical work for my supervisor at the school of architecture and planning but as I pass by the arch. students' projects and work in the comp. lab, my heart just wishes I could be one of them. However, I am too distracted to focus on architecture at the moment. Foreign languages and art nibble at my mind and I need to work on those two before I can focus on architecture. Until I get those out of the way, I won't be able to devote all my time and energy to architecture especially when doing overnighters. I want to be able to sit down and patiently work on my models and schematics for architecture and currently I cannot.Secondly, this being the month of February and it nearing spring, I have found that I still haven't met anyone who would be interested in dating me, at least for a month. I mean I do put myself out there but I am not going to throw myself at every cute guy I meet. While my S. Texas friend opened my mind to dating, it didn't necessarily help with my current situation that much. The funny thing is that while I have increased my number of guy friends, I still have no potential dates. The year started well, with a potential one but apparently he was pursuing more than one girl and the other one won over me so there went that date. He still is my friend but the funny thing is he doesn't bother to call me even when he got a new phone. My other guy friend who seemed a potential date, I was told was not a good match for me because he wasn't the greatest person and very much sexual (something I am not sure I am ready for). Funny enough both were long distance but I didn't mind that. I like the idea of dating people from other places. It is part of the wanting to learn and experience more and wanting to travel around. Well, if anything I am not going to rush the process, I am going to wait for God's timing whenever that is.

Tuesday, February 05, 2008

Nobody is humanBut if you are going to do somethingThen you better do itAnd do it rightAnd not half-done

So I don't know what to think of our government anymore. On the one hand, it is alot better than an oligarchy or monarchy but on the other hand, it is not a democracy. I think I understand what the Russian revolutionary leader must have been thinking....do you pick either a crazy power-hungry person to lead a country or do you pick the one that is too liberal and easily influenced to lead? That is always the question of the elections because the truth is that sometimes neither of the candidates have what it takes to lead or at least don't focus on what is truly important. I mean we are all human here.

That leads me to another point. I wish I could sue the person who mapped out the streets of albuquerque. I mean what is the deal with the inconsistencies and the odd intersections and the steep ramps. Seriously, why is it so hard to develop a good street system. Now I know that cities grow and change but the municipal govt. is still in control of street development. So why did they come up with such crazy street designs. Seriously, my hometown had much better city streets than here and we have both a mountain and a military base in the middle of the city so why is it so hard to have consistent streets here in Albuquerque!?!?

As a a result of bad city planning, I have gotten into two accidents. One a year ago and another just yesterday. The funny thing is that both times I wasn't completely at fault because it was poor city design involved. The first one the light was nearly a block away and right in front of a highway on-ramp so it is hard to spot right away. The second accident was because a darn school bus blocked my view of the stop sign and since the streets variate from every other street to have stop signs I figured I had the right away. Both times I took precautions and was not speeding! Still, I have the impression that other people won't believe me even though in both accidents, there were people who said that those intersections were problematic. So I am not alone in thinking that this city needs better street planning. Now I know that to redesign the whole city street scheme is unrealistic, I just want to point out that in this case I wasn't at fault. I wish I could sue the city for their complex street schematics because it is crazy. I am half-tempted to call a random lawyer and see what they can do for me. Even if I don't I still have a court date where I can contest my tickets.One other thing that got me annoyed was that they gave me a ticket for not having a NM driver's license. Maybe because I had a local address they thought I was a resident, but the truth is that I am just now establishing my residency after being in the dorms for 3 years and my Tx license doesn't expire until 2010 anyhow. To get a driver's license in NM, you apparently have to go through this whole dwi program which I hear doesn't even work. I mean people will continue to do what they do no matter how many times you tell them not to. It is not like teens aren't aware of the fact that they put other people in danger when they drink and drive but they still take that risk because i guess they think they are invincible. Well, anything important in life is always a a gamble and the fact is that unless you are extremely lucky, you will always have unfortunate results in your lifetime. Nobody makes no mistakes, because we aren't perfect. This is a fact of life. I don't know but I wouldn't want to live in the Burque after graduation simply because I hate the street design. I prefer cities that are better designed.

Well according to history, every democracy that has ever existed only has worked up to a number of years and we are reaching that point pretty soon. I mean this make sense because the fact is that we are human and we err and sin and thus bring doom upon ourselves - not God. We like to blame others for our actions, we like to make ourselves feel better by reading and gossiping about the problems of others but we fail to look at ourselves first. We keep expecting others to change before us but we don't want to change ourselves first. So how are we expected to get along. I am in agreement with my friend that this nation is very spoiled and because of that we are going downhill. I mean I am sure if we worked hard to be independent instead of having everything handed to us on a silver spoon - this nation would be in a better place/situation that it is now. I know I am not perfect but I also accept that in others. This world after all is gray and not purely black and white and there is no easy answer to anything important in life. There is always something else involved. The problem is that the insurance system and the justice system seem to think in black and white. You are either guilty or not and that is true but if we judged everyone on that system, then every single person on this planet is guilty because we have all sinned in one way or the other. The only difference is the effects those sin have on people - mortal sins:kill and all the rest subversively damage others in ways that sometimes can't be seen. Now I am not trying to bash society, there are good people and good things from this society. I am just saying that we need to stop judging people period unless of course you are an actual judge. I am saying this world is gray and thus should think what that means about everything else. There are some evil people and there are some saints but those are rare and far in between. The rest are human.

Thursday, January 31, 2008

So it was my birthday yesterday but when I woke up that morning, I had completely forgot that. I had slept through my alarms and had it not been for my best friend sending me a super early text saying Happy Birthday I would have gone through the day like any other at least until I wrote the date. Anyhow, the day was good, I got to talk to my friend Jessie and spend lunch with her. I always enjoy our talks! Then I went to my honors class where I definitely felt smart, where I was definitely contributing to the class and making valid points and took 3 pages worth of good notes! All the time, I was receiving warm birthday greetings from friends. That's one thing I am definitely thankful for! So then I get out of class and head to hair consultation at Aveda and it was fun I got told I could in fact have my hair treated so that it would be evened out with cutting my hair too much and scheduled that and then got food at Arby's and ran back to lead my first bible study. I got there late but I had no idea because all this time I had left my cell in my room. It was a small group of people there but it was alright. It definitely felt different being a leader this time than a participant. I wanted to share things about the passage but I couldn't and since I had already manuscript ed, i ended up washing others manuscript wishing I could point out things to them too. All in all, it wasn't too bad but definitely a new experience. Our club meeting afterwards was good and I got a lot of warm birthday wishes once again and even got sung Happy Birthday from everyone which was classic.

The trouble started at the end but it was only then that I allowed myself to put my guard down and be real. For sometime, it seems the only thing I wanted for my birthday was a boyfriend or at least a courtship - someone whom I could develop a special friendship where we support each other and help each other grow and who I could count on when I was lonely. I thought I had found someone close to that at LaFe but then later on I found he had fallen for someone else. Heh, fallen - I wonder where that metaphor came from: falling in love. Anyhow even though I know things wouldn't have worked out at least not smoothly and with plenty of give and take; I still couldn't completely shake off my feelings for him. So after talking with another friend who had come with me to LaFe as well and had seen the two of us interacting about what had occurred, she confirmed and confided that she too had thought that he had shown interest in me as well and even initiated a pursuance if you will. I confided in her that I wish and would like to smack the senses into that guy for giving me false hope. For initiating something and not firmly closing it softly. I feel deeply wronged even though I know it isn't completely his fault. Maybe it was the other girl's fault for leading him on because she apparently is not ready to be in a relationship with him but they are still friends. Oh, it just is soo not fair that she should have stolen him from me. Now, all I want to do is cry because there was nothing else I really wanted for my birthday. I have been bright and cheerful and for my birthday I will allow myself the freedom to be real and to accept my hurt and my pain. I won't push it away. I will just accept it and pray for some healing.

Wednesday, January 09, 2008

Don't take for granted the life you have lived, live and will live....appreciate it!

So I was supposed to be in Albuquerque this week but plans changed and today I was supposed to hang out with another friend but I ended up staying with my bff for the rest of the day...partly due to laziness. Plans change all the time and that's why I never make plans for sure because God likes to change my plans all the time...he did for my post high school life. So I am just winging it.

I know I am not the most wisest person, I for sure have friends that are smarter and wiser than me but hey I think I have handled my life pretty well. I mean I have been through a lot both academically and personally. I don't know if most people would be okay after going through the bs I did especially since it wasn't just at school but at home. I can explain it in no other way than God having a plan for me. He was the one who pulled me out of the black hole I was living in. I really am an optomistic person and sometimes I think it annoys people...but I do have my days where I let myself be pessimistic. I mean, I am human afterall and I need to vent and cry and just do nothing but only for that day and then the next day I get up and work hard.

Oh, all last November was hard academically but being a nerd, it was the hardest thing to realize how much I was suffering gradewise and see how much I had degraded from high school...aka be a much worse slacker/student than I was then. Then my insomnia hit me and it sucked because the one sure way to relieve stress that I had was taken away. Luckily I had my bff on the phone and she helped me out by listening to my complains and b*tching and crying and eventually I got some sleep though really at an inconvenient time. She heard me argue with God about everything that month had put me through. Now even after the break my sleeping habits are still messed up but it really is because of some unforeknown reasons that I think might help if I go to therapy/counseling will help me.

Before I was so against counseling but after being told by three different people who I know all meant the best for me that I should go to counseling, well obviously God was speaking to me and no one should ignore God when he repeats himself three times. So my first session went well; I somehow ended up breaking down. I guess I had had a lot on my mind that I needed to get out and needed to cry. Wow I cried deeply, that is something in itself. So there you have it, counseling/therapy worked for me. I guess sometimes we all need someone who will listen to us, understand us, and help us understand ourselves and help ourselves and is not biased. Yah life is rough, but I wouldn't change anything about my past as much as it was painful....it made me who I was and if God trusted me with this life then I won't waste it but appreciate it.

I like what Ellen DeGeneris had to say about one of her days. She was talking about how one morning her coffee grinder broke and spilled coffee grounds but before she could lose her temper she saw a hummingbird hovering in front of her window and the beauty of the bird was so amazing that for the rest of the day she was happy. It made her day because all day she just remembered the bird and stopped to appreciate it and the moment. We should all learn from her and learn to stop and appreciate those moments in our life even if everything around us is crazy and hectic. I mean if that's how douglas adams says we learn to fly then why not. I love Ellen she is my role model. Perhaps I will write to her one of these days and maybe she will give me a call. That would be freaking awesome! In the meantime, I will just enjoy her talk show and blog on her website called A Thought...And I Do Have A Thought or something like that and I would encourage others to read it as well because she is so funny and yet real in her blog.

Saturday, January 05, 2008

Dating and marriage and living fully...Perhaps Frank Sinatra was onto something when he wrote his immortalized song Love and Marriage. Yes,it is something that we all think about whether we are for or against getting married but it is still on our minds. I tend to think more on the earlier parts of life like dating. I have a negative view of dating mainly because I think it is a waste of time to date for fun. If I am going to date it is because I am looking for that lifelong partner who I can grow and learn from and hopefully vice versa. Now, I am not a full blown feminist who thinks that she can live alone but I am also not going to be totally dependent on my partner. I was raised to be independent and to live out my life fully. Both my mother and grandmother were woman who loved to travel and did manage to do so and also both married late in life. I plan to marry late only because I have dreams that may not coincide with marriage early in life, for instance, I am a nerd and would like to enjoy my college life as much as possible and thus I will be in school for sometime due to some unexpected delays in my journey and also because I want to study abroad and travel as much as I possibly can before I settle - wanderlust if you may. If someone is willing to accommodate these two strings to the deal, then I would gladly trade my singleness for the complementariness of a couple. Life is short but the key to living happily is taking full advantage of what it has to offer and taking risks. Death is not our enemy but our friend when you don't fear him. Life is tiring and often we must be broken down and repaired many times before we can shine like a diamond. In fact, diamonds are so beautiful because they also have been compounded and compressed for long periods of time. Nature seems to mirror life almost as if God knew He would need to constantly remind us that we must be willing to suffer the same to shine brilliantly. I have come to an understanding that I cannot give up my life but must fully live it out because it is unfair to those who wish they could live longer. I live for myself and because there is a person who I owe my life to and a person who I couldn't do wrong by not living fully. Life is hard but life doesn't have to be that difficult; luck is only the perspective you have. I have found luck when I focus on the positive and keep looking and moving forward. Yet I also know that we do need to vent and cry out once in a while but the key is not to get absorbed in the negative but just give it its proper time and place and then move on. My life is all about truly learning to live.